Vapor indicating apparatus



R. A. ACKLEY VAPOR INDICATING APPARATUS Dec. 14, 1948.

Filed 001;. 19, 1946 'MPLIF IE R IIIIIIIII Patented Dec. 14 1948 I UNITED STATES PATNT OFFICE Robert A. Ackley,Chicagoflll.,assignor to Re-V public Flow Meters Company, Chicago, Ill.,. a, corporation of 'Illinois w Application October 19, 1946, Serial No. 704,418

^8 Claims.

This invention relates to vapor indicating apparatus andv more particularly to .apparatus for measuring the quantity of non-aqueous vapor such as medicinal or antiseptic'vapor in the air.

The apparatus is particularly useful and is described in connection with the measurement of glycol vapor in air. It has been found that glycol vapor when "dispersediin air has the ability to kill many of the germs associated with respiratory diseases'and" which are apt to induce infection in wounds. If too much vapor is present,V it will produce disagreeable fogging in the air, while too little vapor is almost completely ineffective. The present invention has for one of its objects the provision of apparatus fo'r accurately measuring the quantity of glycol vapor or like nonaqueous vapor in air. 'Another object is to provide vaporindicating apparatus which is operable continuously to produce a continuous and substantially instantaneous indication of the quantity of vapor in the air.

Still another object is to provide vapor indicating. apparatus which is simple and inexpensive to construct and which produces an accurate indicaton of the vapor content of the air. I

The above and other objects and advantages of theinvention'will be more readily apparent from the following description When' read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a partial front elevation of a vapor indicating 'apparatus embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a partial horizontal section with parts in elevation of the apparatus of Figure 1;

Figure l3 is a section through the disc; and

Figure 4 is a partial section illustrating the mounting of the light source andphoto-electric cell.

The apparatus, as shown; comprises a .casing made up' of va back plate Ill to which a cupped shaped front plate H is 'secured by clam'ps or the like as indioated at |2.V The front plate I is hollow, as shown, and is adapted to contain a body of 'water indicated at 13 vwhich is maintained at a substantially Constant level in the casing. Water may be suppliedthrough a hose |4 controlledby a valve and which may, if desired, communicate with a constant level chamber so that thev level of water in the casing will be maintained Constant 'during operation.

i A disc 16 is rotatably mounted .in the casing on a shaft |1 which is in turn driven at a relatively low speed by a motor |8. While no particu- ``larfspeed of the disc is required, I have found T thatl a speed ofabout three revolutions per hour is satisfactory. As best seen in vFigure 3, the disc is'formed on one face with a flat portion 19 adjacent its periphery which is highly polished. Eorthis purpose the disc may be made of stainless steel with the flat portion polished orgmay, if

preferred, be plated with chromium or the like toV produce a bright, smooth surface. Radially within the polished portion |9v the disc yis annularlyrjrecessed to receive an annular wiekV 2|. The wiek may beheld in place by a:split ring 22 pressing the wick into the recess and by a similar resilient ring 23 gripping the inner edge of the wiek against the lhub. In this way the wick may easily be mounted on the disc and will be held in contact `withthe'recessed surface of the disc. A similar wick 24 is secured to the opposite face of the discand extends at its upper edge into an annular recess adjacent the periphery of the disc. A ring 25 engages the. outer edge of the wiek 24 to'v hold it in thel recess while a similar ring 26 holds'the inner edge of the wick against the hub. As theidisc rotates in the easing, its lower edge including at least portions of the wicksll vand 22 dip into the body-of water -l3 so that the wicks will be kept wet and so that the polished surface 59 will be washed. EXcess water is removed from the polished surface |9 lby a wiper 21 which may be in the formof'a fiexible rubber blade pressing against the polished surface at the side of the disc where the surface rises from the body of water.v The wiper 21 may be carried by a plug 28 inserted in a cylinder 29 which extends through the casing wall at one edge thereof and may be adjustable in the cylinder to maintain the wiper tightlytin contact with the polished surface of the disc. v- With this construction excess water is wiped from the polisheddisc surfaceas it rises from the ybody of water in the casing so that the surface will be clean and relatively dry.

Air is constantly circulated through the casing byla blower 3| mounted adjacent the casing and having its outlet communicate with the' casing v through an'opening 32 in one face thereof above the water level. As best seen in Figure 2, the air enters at one side of the disctoward the edge thereof and is caused to fiow around the disc and out a vent opening 33 on the opposite side thereof by a partition 34 in the casing. In this way the air fiows completely around the disc to maintain maximum contact therewith and 'to produce maximumv evaporation from the wicks 2| and 24. The air supplied by the blower is drawn from the space in which the vapor concentration is to be tested and may be returned directly 3 to the same space. As the air flows over the disc and evaporates water from the wicks, it will cool the wicks and the disc to the wet bulb temperature of the air. Since this temperature is above the dew point, humidity or water vapor in the air will not condense on the disc, but non-aqueous vapors such as glycol vapor will condense on the polished surface |9.

The amount of' condensation of glycol' or like vapors on the surface 19 is measured in any desired manner. In the preferred construction, as best seen in Figure 4, the casing back wall ll] is formed with a generally conical opening therethrough above the level of'the Water'in the casing and toward the side of the' casin'g' at which the edge of the disc enters the water. A pair of tubes 35 and 3B are secured to the casing in. register with the conical opening therein and are separated by a central partition 31 extending partially into the conical opening. The tube 35 carriesl a light source shown as an electric lamp 38 supported in a housing 39 which is carried by a tube'section M adjustably sli'dabl'e into'the tube 35; A collecting lens system 42 is mounted in the' tube section 4| to collect lightv beams from the electric lamp and direct the beams toward a point on the polished surface IS)` of the disc. The beam refiects into the tube 36 which carries a photo-electric cell 43 mounted on a tube section 44 which is slidable in the tube 36. The tube 44 carriesa lens system 45 to direct the'reected beam from the polished disc surface on to an electrode 46 in the tube so that the conductivity of the tube will be varied inv accordance With the intensity of the reflected beam. The tube may be vconnected through an amplifier indicated generally at 41 to a millivoltmeter or the like shown at 48' which maybe calibrated in terms of the quantity of vapor in the air. While an` indicating meter has been' illustrated, it will be under- Vstood that the voltages suppliedV to the meter could` be utilized to control the quantity of' vapor in the air, if desired.

In operation, as the air is blown through' the casing' by the blower 3| glyc-ol vapor or other non-aqueous vapors in the air will condense on the' polished surface on the disc 19. As vapors condense on the disc, the intensity of' refiected light beam will be reduced so that less light Will reach the electrode 46 of the photo-electric cell. The amplifier' circuit can be sov arranged that' its output will be reduced in proportion as the light int'ensity reaching the photo-electric cell is reduce'd. The meter can, if desired, be calibrated directly in terms of the quantity of vapor in the air so that a direct and continuous indication will= be obtained. As the disc turns', vapor condensed thereon will' be washed from thepolished surface in the body of water, and the polished surface Will then be Wiped substantially dry by the- 'wiper f'l'` so that a clean dry surface except for' glycol or like condensation thereon isalways presented at the point w-here' the light beam is reflectedf.

'While' one embodiment of the invention has been shown and describedin detail herein, it will be understood thatv this is illustrative only and is not intended as a definition of the scope of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appendedz cl'aims.

'What is claimed i's: i

1`. Vaporindicating apparatus comprising a rotata-ble' disc having a fiat-polished portion on. one face, means to rotate the disc, means to circulate fair containing non-aqueous: vapor over thel disc,

means to hold a body of water in Acontact with the lower portion of the disc whereby circulation of air thereover will cool the disc to a temperature above the dew point of the air, and means to sense the condensation of vapor on the flat polished surface of the disc.

2. Vapor indicating apparatus comprising 'a rotatable disc. having a fi'at polished'portion on one face, means to rotate the disc, means to circulate air containing non-aqueous vapor over the disc, means to hold a body of water in contact with the lower portion of the disc whereby circulation of air thereover will cool the disc to a temperature above the dew point of the air, a light source to direct a beam against the flat polished surface of the disc, and light sensitive means receivingthe refiection of the light beam from said surface to indicate the presence of condensed vapor on the surface.

3. Vapor indicating appara-tus comprisingl a disc having a fiat polished portion on one face ad'jacent its periphery, wick means carried by the disc radially within said portion, means to rotate the disc, means to circulate air containing non-aqueous vapor over the disc, a container for water adj acent 'the disc into which the l'owerpart of the disc and the wiek means dip, a wiper to remove excess water from said polished portion of the disc as it leaves the water, and means to sense the condensation of vapor on the wiped polished portion.

4. Vapor indicating 'apparatus comprising a disc having a fiat polished portion on one face adl'acent its periphery, wiek means carried by the disc radially within said portion, means to rotate the disc, means to circulatev air containing. nonaqueous vapor over the disc, a lcontainer for water adjacent the disc into which the lower part of the disc and the W-ick means dip, a wiper to remove excess water from said polished portion of the4 disc as it leaves-the Water, a light source to direct a :beam of light on the wiped polished portion, 'and light Sensitive means receiving the refiection of the beam of. light from the polished portion to indicate the presen-ce. of condensed vapor on the polished portion.

5. Vapor indicating apparatus comprising a disc having a. fiat polished portion on` one face adjacent. its periphery, wiek. means carried by the disc radially Within said portion, means `to rotate the disc, means. to circulate air containing non-aqueous vapor over theV disc,V 'a container for water adjacent the.. disc into which the lower part of the discandthe wichmeans. dip, a wiper to remove excess water fromv said. polished portion of the disc as it leaves the water, a light source to' direct a beam ofV light on. the Wiped polished portion, a photoelectric cell receiving the refiected beam of light from the polished surface, and electric indicating means.` connected to' the cell. to indicatethe presence of condensed. vapor on thepolished surface.

6-. Vapor ndicating apparatus comprising a casing adapted to containa 'body of water,.a. disc rotatably mounted in the casing. on a horizontal axisV so thatits lower portion will clip` into the. Water in the casinzg, the disc having a, fiat polished surface on` one. faceV adjacent itsy periphery, means to. rotate the disc, a Wiper in the casing' to. wipe excess water from the polished surface, means to circulate air containing non-aqueousi vapor through the casing over the disc, wiek means carried by the: disc i and dipping into the' water in` the casing to cool the disc4 by evaporation, a

light source to direct a light beam against the polished surface, and indicating means responsive to reflection of the light beam from the polished surface.

7. Vapor indicating apparatus lcomprising a casing 'adapted to contain a body of water, a disc rotatably mounted in the casing on a horizontal axis so that its lower portion will dip into the Water in the casing, 'the disc having a fiat polished surface on one face adjacent its periphery, means to rotate the disc, 'a Wiper in the casing to Wipe excess water from the polished surface, means to circulate air containing non-aqueous Vapor through the casing over the disc, annular Wicks carried by the opposi'te faces of the ldisc and dipping into the water in the casing to cool the disc in response to ev-aporation, 'a light source to direct a light :beam against the polished surface, a photo-electric cell receiving the reflected beam from the polished surface, and electricI indicating means connected to the cell.

8. Vapor indicating apparatus comprising a casing adap'ted to contain a body of water, a disc rotatably mounted in the casing on a horizontal axis so that its lower portion will dip into the water in the casing, the disc having a flat polished surface on one face adjacent itsl periphery, means to rotate the disc, a wiper in the casing to wipe excess water from the polished surface, means to circulate air containing non-aqueou's vapor through the casing over the disc, wicks carried by the disc and dpping into the water in the casing to cool the disc by evaporation, the casing having an opening in Vone side thereof in register with the polished surface of the disc, a pair of tubes carried by the casing over said opening and lying at an angle less than to each other, a light source in one of the tu-bes to direct a light beam against the polished surface, a photo-electrio cell in the other tube to receive the reflected light beam from the polished surface, 'and indicating means connected to the cell.

I ROBERT A. ACKLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The' following references are of record in the .file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

